Lancers Advance to Winners Bracket with Victory over Bears

Worcester, MA- After a strong back end finish to the season, and dominant play in conference, the Worcester State softball team (23-14, 13-3) have a flip of script form last year as they claimed the second seed and hosted the #5 seeded Bridgewater State Bears in the first of the double elimination games.

Final

Bridgewater State: 2

Worcester State: 8

How it Happened:

Top of the first would see Bridgewater state get some runs on the base path. A walk for senior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, MA) and a single to left field for junior Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, PA) would set up the Bears in prime position to break the score early. A dropped strike three would see Lynch take the chance to steal home and she would be successful giving the Bears a early 1-0 lead. Bottom of the frame would see the Lancers strike back. Senior Emma Lapoint (Westfield, MA) would get on the bases with a single and then senior Morgan Keefe (Dracut, MA) would drive in Lapoint with an RBI double to even the score 1-1. First year Zoie Stevens (Claremont, NH) would give the Lancers the lead with an RBI single into center field driving in Keefe to put the score 2-1. 

Junior Taylor Coonan (Grafton, MA) and Lily Gagnon (East Haven, CT) powered through the second and third with the Lancers holding the lead as senior Bella Gasbarro (Leominster, MA) nailed a one run homer to deep center to extend the Lancer lead to 3-1.

The two teams would battle in the fourth but Worcester would come away the victors as Gasbarro would go deep for her second time this game for a three run shot to the gap in left to send across senior Emma LaPoint (Westfield, MA) and junior Cali Brouillard (Millbury, MA). First year Zoie Stevens (Claremont, NH) would record another RBI for the Lancers in the inning as zipper up the middle would allow Senior Morgan Keefe (Dracut, MA) to cross for the 7-1 lead. An error on the Bears catcher would provide Stevens the opportunity to provide run eight for Worcester to close out the fourth. 

The Bears would turn to junior Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, NH) to steady the Bears and stifle the Lancer attack, who grabbed a quick strikeout but senior Amanda Adamuska (Dudley, MA) and LaPoint would work the count two get two runners on as Worcester aimed to wrap up the game in five. Gasbarro, after going deep twice, would hit a sac fly to short right to put the winning run of Adamuska on third with two outs on the board but Hargreaves kept the focus and forced a fly out to end the danger.

Junior Peyton Maloney (West Boylston, MA) would step in for Worcester and work two outs but after a run down by Junior Savanah Dubois (New Bedford, MA), as the pinch runner, found her at third a deep double by sophomore Aubrey Carberry (North Dartmouth, MA) would add a second run on for the Bears. Bridgewater would make quick work of the bottom of the inning as each team looked to close out the action in the seventh. Maloney would force a pop out, a fly out and a strikeout to claim the win to advance to the winners bracket tomorrow at Westfield State.

What's Next:

Each team will now head to Westfield State tomorrow with Worcester State facing off with the winner of the Westfield State vs MCLA battle at 11am and Bridgewater playing to stay alive at 1pm.